Hook and snap garment fastener



April 1 's. T. SHEARS 3,435,491 HOOK AND" SNAP GARMENT FASTENER I Filed May 9. 1966 Izwenior Siuar? T. Shears,

llnited States Patent U.S. Cl. 24-224 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fastener combination for releasably securing the overlapping folds of a garment. The male component of the combination which includes an outwardly projecting stud is attached to one of the folds and the female component of the combination is attached to the confronting face of the other fold. The female component includes a keeper having a generally key-hole shaped slot and the end of the keeper adjacent the narrower portion of the slot is severed to provide a lateral spring action in the keeper whereby the stud may be passed through the wider portion of the slot and snapped laterally into the narrower portion thereof to secure the folds and the keeper may be snapped away from the stud in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the stud to disengage the components and release the folds.

The present invention relates generally to snap fasteners and more particularly to a snap fastener for securing the overlapping folds of an article of wearing apparel.

An object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, easily attached and highly efliicient garment fastener.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fastener embodying male and female components which are adapted to be snappingly coupled by a lateral relative movement of same and uncoupled by snapping the female component from the male component in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the male component.

Other objects and advantages of the novel fastener combination will become evident from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with a viewing of the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the female component;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the female component looking from the lower end of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an installation showing the female component attached to the fold of a garment;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of an installation depicting the fastener combination securing the overlapping folds of a garment; and

FIG. 5 is an end view from the right of FIG. 4 as the fastener components are being uncoupled.

The fastener components are depicted in the drawing as stampings of resilient sheet metal. However, it is envisioned that other materials, for example, a durable, relatively rigid plastic might be employed. Further, while it is anticipated that the fastener might be employed to secure the overlapping folds of a number of different garments, its development was principally motivated by the need for an improved fastener to secure the overlapping folds at the fly of a pair of mens trousers. Thus, for purposes of illustration only the fastener is hereinafter described in connection with its application as a trousers fastener.

The fastener combination comprises male and female members, each of which is adapted to be readily attached to the folds of a garment.

The female member 1 includes a base portion 2 having an opening 3 to receive an eyelet or some other attaching means, and a keeper portion joined to and extend- 3,435,453 1 Patented Apr. 1, 1969 ice ing laterally from the base portion. The keeper portion includes a connector portion 4 extending angularly outwardly from the base portion, a stud-engaging portion 5 joined to the connector portion and lying in a plane .generally parallel to that of the base portion, and a spacer member 6 extending generally normal from the end of the keeper portion and inwardly toward the plane of the base portion. A tab 7 extends inwardly from the base portion 2 at the end thereof remote from the keeper portion. As shown by the solid lines a, b, in FIGS. 2 and 3 the stud-engaging portion 5 and the spacer member 6 are severed to provide resilient snap action in the keeper portion.

As best seen in FIG. 4 the male component includes a base portion 8 and a hollow stud which extends outwardly from the base portion and generally symmetrically about an axis normal to the base portion. The stud includes an enlarged, bulbous head 9 and a narrower neck 10 joining the head tothe base portion.

As best seen in FIG. 3 the internal edges of the keeper portion of the female member 1 define an elongated slot including an enlarged opening 11 having a width greater than the stud head 9, a smaller, generally circular opening 12 having a diameter less than that of the stud head 9 and an interconnecting throat portion 1 3 having a width slightly less than the neck 10 of the stud.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict an assembly wherein the fastener combination is employed to secure overlapping folds at the fly of a pair of trousers. The female member 1 is secured to the inner surface of the outer fold by an eyelet 14 and the stud is secured to the outer surface of the inner fold by a rivet, the shank of which is upset within the hollow stud in the well known manner. As shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 4 the bases of both the eyelet and the rivet are concealed between the material forming the inner and outer folds of the garment.

To secure the overlapping folds forming the fly, the wearer need only draw some laterally in opposite directions to bring the stud head 9 into registration with the enlarged opening 11, pass the stud head through the opening and thereafter draw the folds laterally to the position shown in FIG. ,4 to cause the neck 10 of the stud to snap through the throat 13 of the slot and seat in the circular opening 12. As further seen in FIG. 4, the spacer member 6 engages the inner surface of the outer fold to maintain the keeper portion offset therefrom; and, in effect, provides a pocket for the stud head 9. The tab 7 bites into the fabric forming the outer fold to prevent accidental rotation of the female member relative thereto.

FIG. 5 illustrates the most advantageous feature of the present invention, to wit, that the female member can be snapped from the stud while in the engaged position by a twisting or rocking action applied in a direction generally parallel to the axis of the stud. One will appreciate that this is a decided advantage where the trousers are tightfitting and the folds are in tension on the wearer and that the action of unsnapping the components in the specified direction is the natural motion one will impart to the folds in drawing them away from one another.

Thus, while one form of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that the disclosure is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense in that the scope of the invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fastener combination for releasably securing the overlapping folds of a garment comprising male and female fastener components, said male component including a base portion adapted to be aflixed to and overlie the inner surface of one of the folds and a stud portion extending outwardly from said base portion and generally symmetrically about an axis normal to said base portion, said stud portion having an enlarged head and a narrower neck portion joining said head to said base, said female component including a base portion adapted to be fixedly secured to the inner surface of the other fold, a keeper portion joined to and extending laterally from said base portion, and a spacer member extending inwardly from the end of said keeper portion remote from said base portion, said spacer member being adapted to engage the fold to which said component is attached to maintain said keeper portion in offset relationship therewith, said keeper portion including a connector portion extending angularly from said base portion and a stud-engaging portion joined to said connector portion and lying in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said base portion, said keeper portion having internal edges defining an elongated studreceiving slot including an enlarged portion having a width greater than the head of said stud, a smaller portion having a width less than that of the head of said stud and an interconnecting throat portion having a width slightly less than that of the neck of said stud whereby said stud may be inserted into said enlarged portion and snapped laterally through said throat portion to seat in said smaller portion to couple said components and secure the overlapping folds, the end of said keeper portion remote from said base portion and said spacer member being collinearly severed to provide for a spring action therein and to permit said female component to be snapped from said male component in a direction generally parallel to the axis of said stud.

2. A fastener combination according to claim 1 wherein said female component has a tab extending inwardly from said base portion at the end thereof remote from said keeper portion, said tab being adapted to engage the fold to which said female component is attached to prevent accidental rotation of said component with respect to the fold.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 70,602 12/ 1915 Austria.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

